Metal shelving



DeC. 31, 1929. s, GOLDBERG METAL SHELVING Filed-March 2, 1.929

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Z A W f-C I /3 ATTORNEYS atentved Dec. 31', 1.929(

SAMUEL GOLDEEEG,` E NEW YoEK, N. Y.7 EoEA'rIoN, 0E NEW YoEK, N. Y.,

PATENT OFFICE ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL FIXTURE COR- A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK METAL SHELVING Application filed March 2,

Important objects of the present invention are7 to provide, in ashelving structure, a sheet metal shelf of generally improved design; toproduce strong sheet metal shelving at a materially reduced cost; toprovide for the manufacture of a shelf of greatstrength from a singleblank of comparatively thin sheet metal; to provide a shelf design enabling the manufacture of a strong shelf, from a single sheet metalblank, by a simple manufacturing process; and to provide a shelfreinforced along its front and rear edges by double-ply angle beamsintegrally formed with the shelf from a single sheet metal blank anddesigned to give the shelf maximum strength.

In the drawing, Fig. l is a front view of a shelving structure embodyingmy invention; Y l Fig. 2 a transverse section taken on the line 2--2 ofFig. l;

Fig. 3 a plan view upon a reduced scale of a blank for forming a shelf;

Fig. 4 a detail section upon a larger scale D taken on the line 4-4 ofFig. l;

Fig. 5 a detail section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 a detail section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. l.

The shelving structure preferably includes four upright metal cornermembers or posts l for supporting the shelves. The posts are preferablyof angular form in cross section to fit the shelf corners. The shelves 2supported by the vposts embody an improved feature of design which willbe presently described in detail. rAll of theshelves are pref! erably ofthe same form, and a description of one willsuflice for all of them.

Each shelf is formed from a single sheet metal blank B which contains acentral rectangular area C to form the body of the shelf, extendedlongitudinal margins Lof material width, and extended end margins E ofless width than margins L. In forming the shelf 1929. Serial No.343,999.

from the blank the longitudinal margins L of the latter are formed, by asimple manufacturing process, into reinforcing beam structures 3 whichare designed to give great strength to the shelf and enable it towithstand powerful bending stresses without rupture or deformation andin fact with no noticeable sagging or deflection.

Each beam 3 is of a double-ply, angular form and is produced by bendingone of the longitudinal margins L of the blank downwardly along alongitudinal line 4f to form the outer ply 5 of a web depending from theshelf. The margin is then bent inwardly along a line 6 to form an Vouteror lower ply 7 of a iiange disposed substantially at right angles to thedepending Web. Next, the margin is folded back upon itself along theline 8 to form an upper or inner flange ply 9 covering the outer angeply 7 and pressed into closed Contact with substantially the entireinner surface of the latter. At the bend between the outer plies 5 and 7the margin is bent upwardly along the line 10 to form an inner web ply11 covering the inner vertical surface of the outer web ply 5 andpressed into close contact with substantially the entire inner surfacethereof and also with the bend between the plies 5 and 7 The upper edgeof the innerl ply 11 closely contacts, along its length, with the undersurface of the shelf, along the bend between the body of the shelf andthe outer ply 5. 'lhe blies 9 and 11 then form a strong inner reinforcement integrally formed with the shelf in a simple manner and lyingwithin the channel defined by the plies 5 and 7 and the edge portion ofthe shelf body.

Along both its front and rear edges the shelf is formed in the mannerdescribedwith the said double-ply, substantially L-shaped beams 3. Thebending and folding of the blank margins L and the pressing together ofthe plies to form the beams may be easily performed by a rolling processwhich is eX- tremely simple and inexpensive. At its ends the shelf isprovided with reinforcing means formed by bending the end margins E ofthe blank B downwardly and inwardly along the lines 12 and 13respectively to form single ply angle beams 14 of the same depth as thebeams 3. This single ply reinforcement will ordinarily give sufficientstrength to the ends of the shelf. However' my improved doubleplystructure may also be employed at the shelf ends if required, as in thecase of a shelf of exceptional depth.

The shelves 2 are supported by the angle posts 1 with their corners,including` the ends of the beams 3 and of the beams 14, fitting withinthe angles of the posts. The ends of the beams 3 are secured to thesupporting posts by bolts 15 each passing through an aperture in the webof the beam. The end -beams 14 are secured to the posts by bolts 16. Inboth cases however, the fastening means may be varied. Vertical rows ofholes 17 are formed in the posts 1 for the bolts 1 5 and 16, to providefor the vertical adjustment of the shelves in the usual manner.

In many services, shelving structures are required to bear enormousweights, and sagging, distortion and rupture of the shelves under thesevere strain is quite common. Efforts to give the shelves the requiredstrength have heretofore involved the use of thick sheet metal stock andthe employment of added reinforcing means which objectionably complicatethe shelf structure and add materially to its cost, without an adequategain in strength. The design of the present shelf with its integrallyformed, double-ply, an-

gular reinforcing structures fulfills all requirements. It gives theshelf sufficient strength to support the weight which metal shelving isrequired to bear in practically lany service, without rupture,distortion, or appreciable deflection. For a strong shelf, it isextremely inexpensive to manufacture. Its Adesign permits of a materialreduction in the thic mess of sheet metal stock used in a shelf of givenstrength, thus further reducing the cost of sheet metal shelving.

While I have shown a very satisfactory form of my invention, I do notwish to be limited strictly to this disclosure but reserve the right tomake suoli changes as will lie within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is.:

1. In a shelving structure, a sheet metalv self to form an inner flangeply covering and closely contacting substantially the entire uppersurface of said outer flange ply, and bent upwardly to form an innerwebply covering and closely contacting substantially the entire innersurface of the outer web ply, and having its edge in close contact alongsubstantially the entire length thereof with the shelf; reinforcingstructures extending along the front and rear edges of said shelf,integrally formed therewith from a single blank of sheet metal and eachcomprising a doubleply sheet metal beam substantially L-shaped in crosssection and formed by a margin of the blank bent downwardly to form avertical depending outer web ply, bent inward to form an outerhorizontal flange ply along the base of said web-ply, folded upon itselfto form an inner flange ply covering and closely contactingsubstantially the entire upper surface of the outer flange ply and bentupwardly to form an inner web ply covering and closely contactingsubstantially the entire inner surface of the outer web ply; supportingframe members for the shelf; and fastening means securing saidreinforcing beams at points adjacent their ends to said frame members.

3. In a shelving structure, a sheet metal shelf; a reinforcing structureextending along one edge of said shelf integrally formed therewith froma single blank of sheet metal and comprising a double-ply, sheet metalbeam substantially L-shaped in cross section and formed by a margin ofthe shelf bent downward to form an outer web ply, ybent inward to forman outer flange ply along the base of said web ply, folded upon itselfto form an inner flange ply covering and closely contactingsubstantially the entire upper surface of the outer flange ply and bentupwardly to form an inner web ply covering and closely contactingsubstantially the entire inner surface of the outer web ply andcontacting the under surface of the shell along the juncture `of theshelf and the outer web ply; upright supporting frame members atopposite ends of the shelf; and fastening means se curing said doubleply beam adjacent its opposite ends to said frame members to support theshelf.

4. A sheet metal shelf provided with reinforcing structures extendingalong one edge thereof, integrally formed therewithl from a single blankof sheet metal and comprising a double-ply, sheet metal beam formed by amargin of the blank bent downwardly to form a depending outer web ply,

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bent inward to form an outer flange ply, folded upon itself to form aninner flange ply covering and closely contacting substantially theentire upper surface of said outer flange ply, and bent upwardly to forman inner web ply covering and closely contacting substantially theentire inner surface of the outer web ply, and having its edge in closecontact along substantially the entire length thereof with the undersurface of the shelf at the juncture of the outer web ply with the bodyof the shelf. f

5. In a shelving structure, a sheet metal shelf; reinforcing structuresextending along one edge of said shelf, integrally formed therewith froma single blank of sheet metal and comprising a beam formed by a marginof the shelf blank bent Vdownward vertically to form a depending outerweb ply, bent inward to form an outer flange ply along the base of saidweb ply, and folded and bent to form an inner horizontal reinforcingmember and an upright member, said horizontal and upright members beingwithin the channel formed by the edge portion of the shelf, the verticalouter web-ply and the outer flange ply.

6. A sheet metal shelf provided with a reinforcing structure extendingalong the front edge of said shelf, integrally formed therewith from asingle sheet metal blank and comprising a sheet metal beam formed by amargin of the shelf blank bent downward to form a vertical'outer webply, bent inward to form an outer horizontal flange ply along the baseof said web ply and olded, bent and extended upward to contact along itslength with the under surface of the shelf body at the juncture of thelatter with said outer web ply and form an inner reinforcement lyingwithin the channel defined by the edge portion of the shelf and said weband channel plies.

7. A sheet metal shelf provided with a reinforcing structure extendingalong one edge thereof, integrally formed therewith from a single blankof sheet metal and comprising a double-ply, sheet metal beam formed by amargin of the blank bent downwardly to form a depending outer web ply,bent inward to form an outer ange ply, folded upon itself to form aninner flange ply extending to the inner surface of the outer web ply,and bent upwardly to form an inner web ply contacting the inner sur-faceof the outer web ply and having its edge in close contact alongsubstantially the entire length thereof with the under surface of theshelf at the junction of the outer web ply with the body of the shelf.

8. A sheet metal shelf provided with a.

reinforcing structure extending along one edge thereof integrally formedtherewith from a single blank of sheet metal and comprising a double-plysheet metal beam signature. j

SAMUEL GOLDBERG.

